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This week in ISM was nothing short of exciting, as we hosted our Original Work Gallery Walk on Friday. It was the moment we’d all been working toward - showcasing our months of research and creativity. For my original work, I presented a case study exploring the inconsistencies in eyewitness testimonies, a topic that fascinated me because of its critical impact on the criminal justice system. I delved into the psychological and situational factors that can distort memory and the ways these inaccuracies can alter the course of trials. The gallery walk wasn’t just about presenting; it was about connecting. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my findings with my peers and engaging in thought-provoking conversations. Explaining my work to others helped me view my research through new perspectives, and the feedback I received was incredibly encouraging and insightful. What made the experience even more enriching was learning from my classmates. Each project reflected unique passions and interests, from legal reforms to innovations in education, and every conversation sparked new ideas. The collaborative atmosphere was inspiring - it reminded me why I love being part of a class full of curious, driven individuals. This week reaffirmed the power of shared knowledge. The gallery walk wasn’t just a presentation; it was a celebration of growth, learning, and discovery. I left the event feeling inspired and motivated for the next chapter of my ISM journey.

This Veterans Day, I’m reminded of the sacrifices made by those who serve in our military, including the unique challenges veterans face upon returning home. Many veterans struggle with PTSD, injuries, or mental health issues, making them particularly vulnerable within the legal system. This week, as I advanced my research on victims' rights with a focus on jury selection, I began to see how veterans, who are often both witnesses and victims in cases, can face biases or misunderstandings in court due to these struggles. Understanding the complexities of jury selection is critical in ensuring fair representation, especially for veterans and others whose unique experiences might affect their credibility in a trial. Advocating for policies that bridge these gaps isn’t just about veterans’ rights - it’s about creating a fair, inclusive justice system for all victims. This Veterans Day reminds me that respecting victims’ rights means ensuring that everyone, including those who have served, has access to an impartial jury and the support they need in court.

This week, I focused intensely on advancing my research into the jury selection process, a topic that’s especially relevant for understanding how psychology intersects with law. I delved into various studies and articles on jury dynamics, exploring how biases and attitudes can influence decision-making, particularly in cases with vulnerable parties. Through this research, I gained a deeper perspective on the subtle factors that shape a fair trial, from juror backgrounds to specific voir dire techniques aimed at minimizing bias.

Beyond my reading, I also began the important step of identifying professionals in the field who can provide firsthand insights. Gathering names and researching their backgrounds felt like an exciting move forward, as it brings me closer to connecting my academic work with real-world expertise. I’m now in the process of organizing my outreach plan and intend to begin contacting them soon. Engaging in these conversations should not only enhance my primary research but also open doors for potential mentorship. I’m hopeful that learning from experienced professionals will help me bridge the gap between theory and practice. In the long run, these connections could be invaluable as I continue refining my understanding of jury selection and its implications in the justice system. This past week’s progress has definitely energized me to keep moving forward.

This past week in ISM has been a whirlwind of productivity and reflection. I’m thrilled to announce that I launched my very own website! After countless hours of tweaking, designing, and polishing, it’s now live and serves as a showcase for my work and progress. The process of creating it gave me a sense of accomplishment and an outlet to express my goals and vision for ISM. Additionally, I spent some time reflecting on the recent symposium I attended. It was a valuable learning experience, but like any event, it had its highs and lows. I took note of what went well, such as the engaging conversations and networking opportunities, but also areas for improvement. Some aspects, like time management during discussions, could have been smoother, and I’ve learned how important preparation is when navigating professional events. Overall, this week helped me hone my skills in both presenting my work and analyzing my experiences. I’m excited to see where this journey continues to take me!

This week, I took a significant step in focusing my ISM project by narrowing down my topic. While I always knew I wanted to focus on criminal law, I’ve now specifically chosen Victim's Rights as my area of exploration. This is a critical, often overlooked aspect of the justice system that directly impacts the lives of those most affected by crime. By honing in on Victim’s Rights, I will explore how legal systems protect and advocate for victims throughout the criminal process, paying special attention to victim advocacy programs and legal reforms such as Marsy’s Law. Marsy’s Law plays a crucial role in ensuring that victims are informed about legal proceedings, protected from further harm, and given an opportunity to share their experiences through powerful tools like victim impact statements. However, I also want to examine whether the current system truly does enough to protect victims, or if there are gaps that require further legal reforms. My goal is to analyze whether justice and dignity are being fully upheld, and where improvements might be necessary to ensure that victims’ voices are adequately heard and respected. In addition to my research, I’ve been preparing for the upcoming symposium. This involves drafting insightful questions, organizing my business cards and resumes, and finalizing my professional outfit. I’m eager to present my work and engage with professionals who share my passion for justice and advocacy!

This has been a really productive week. It allowed me to polish some of the key tools that will be very useful in academia and my professional career. I finished working on my resume, something which was not only a retrospective but also a looking-forward process. It took considerable time to shrink years of leadership, academic achievement, and extracurricular engagement into a concise sheet of paper. I can now confidently say that the final result really highlighted all my strengths and potentials for the next steps in my ISM year and through college applications. Other than the resume, I completed an annotated bibliography from my criminal law research. This paper required a much deeper dive into each source and summarizing what was being said helped me better comprehend the subtlety of criminal law: the psychology behind eyewitness testimony, federalization of laws, and just how education can really help bring the recidivism rates lower. Overall, this compilation and review of sources have made me all the more confident about the direction my ISM research is headed toward. All in all, this was refining my professional toolkit and broadening my academic base. I feel ready to go out and meet the next set of challenges with more clarity and purpose.

This week in ISM, I delved into an area within constitutional law that I was unfamiliar with: unequal application of the unconstitutional conditions doctrine in criminal cases. While researching this, I found that the doctrine, while attractive and often invoked, tends to be only applied within property rights and free speech-related cases and less often employed within criminal law. This was particularly surprising, because it indicated that criminal defendants-most of whom usually come from a disadvantaged background-enjoyed fewer legal protections. What became most strikingly clear from this research was the idea that the legal system can sometimes take sides, against all claims of objectivity; that it can choose one right over another. I just never considered that all constitutional rights did not stand on an equal footing. This further strengthened my research interest in investigating how legal doctrines may protect or harm some groups, especially within the criminal justice system. One of the things that have been challenging for me this week is trying to understand why the Supreme Court would apply the doctrine only on certain occasions. There were times when some of the terms sounded legal and hard to go through, but I did go through them by deciphering the main ideas and looking for extra resources. This question made me ask even more: How might an extended use of this doctrine in criminal cases make justice better for the marginalized groups? Are there other areas where similar disparities occur in law? Over the next week, I want to explore further the intersection of constitutional law and social justice. Specifically, I want to know more about the effects of granting protections in plea bargaining and self-incrimination cases. My personal growth for this week has been through wrestling with the complexity of some of the legal concepts and reflecting on their practical implications, not to mention the ease of reading a law review article. In future perspective, I have to work in order to connect them more fully and actually develop my skill of communicating complicated legal ideas.